Product Description

Get the truth about alternative energy and make it part of your life

Want to utilize cleaner, greener types of energy? This plain-English guide clearly explains the popular forms of alternative energy that you can use in your home, your car, and more. Separating myth from fact, this resource explores the current fossil fuel conundrum, the benefits of alternatives, and the energy of the future, such as hydrogen and fuel cell technology.

• The ABCs of alternative energy — what it is, how it works, and what the real costs are

• Where we are now — learn where our current energy comes from and how much longer it will last

• Take the first step — see how energy efficiency and conservation can reduce your reliance on fossil fuels

• Grasp the alternatives — from nuclear power to geothermal energy to wood burning, understand the benefits that alternative energy can have on the nation

• Apply alternative fuels to transportation — from biofuels to exotic propulsion to electricity, see how they are best used and how hybrid, all-electric, and fuel cell–powered vehicles work

• Get a peek into the future — see what the outlook holds for each form of alternative energy discussed

Open the book and find:

• The pros and cons of alternative energy

• A review of the current world energy economy

• The problems with fossil fuels, from smog to global warming

• Advantages of alternative energy

• Practical results of alternatives you can use in daily life

• Guidelines for investing in alternative energy vehicles

• Ten ways you can bring about change right now

• Insight into the future of energy production — and how you can invest in it

Customer Reviews (8)

Energy Basics - Surprisingly Comprehensive
I was expecting the usual hodge podge of alternative energy, but this book delves deeper into the meaning of energy, and the fundamental problems inherent in all energy processes.This is not a rah rah book, but a sober analysis of the problems facing alternative energy, along with realistic solutions.Realism will solve the green dilemma, not partisanship and wishful thinking.
Highly recommended if you want a comprehensive viewpoint of energy.

Basics on Alternative Energy
As a 'green' thinker, I was looking for some ideas as to how to reduce my dependencies on the utilities and energy providers. I had some preconceived notions as to what was available, but really did not know the advantages or disadvantages of the choices.

The author does a great job producing content that can be scanned for items of interest without requiring that you read the book cover to cover.Each of the alternative energy options are explored, with pros and cons, estimated pricing options, and a good comparitive summary.

Required an Editor
The book is very sloppy in both content and style.There were paragraphs that I had to read seven or eight times to try and figure out what part of the message the author left out.There are "facts" included in the text that don't even pass the giggle test.It appears there are many key words that are missing, little clues that might indicate a number represents "millions" of tons, and not tons.Of course the correct answer might be "billions", the text offers no clue.

The author begins the book by stating that he will be "neutral" on the issue of anthropogenic global warming, and then throughout the book takes every opportunity to link alternative energy to AGW -- focusing on carbon emissions, which he always refers to as "greehouse gases".

I love the DUMMIES series, and have well over a dozen in my library.This is the first one that really disappointed me.A decent editor with knowledge of the subject could have fixed it.

Alternate energy
This is a very informative book. I may not do much of it but any energy savings is good for me and the planet.

Easy Reading Low Level Descriptions of Alternative Energy
I am a professional engineer with degrees in mechanical and nuclear engineering. I specialize in energy systems for building heating, cooling, and lighting. I have forty years of work experience. This book with twenty-three chapters and 362 pages covers pretty much the full range of alternative energy options that are commercially available or nearly so for consumers. The technical level seems to me about what one would expect for articles in Parade, the Sunday newspaper supplement. Diagrams are few and very simple. (There is nothing wrong with writing for this level of reader.)

Certainly a qualitative discussion of how alternative systems work and what advantages they bring is helpful, but even an interested high school physics student would be looking for more technical content. The book's cover has as the first objective learning to "evaluate the various forms of alternative energy," but evaluation (a comparison of alternatives for example) requires thermodynamic and other technical facts and energy and system cost data far beyond those presented in this book.

After reading this book you will be able to describe in general terms (but certainly not engineering terms) the various alternatives; but you will have little basis for comparisons and selections.

The book has many technical mistakes. For example, the book states, "According to Carnot's law, these smaller power generating machines can never achieve the efficiencies of the massive power plants..." He is speaking here of the Carnot thermodynamic cycle; but that "law" says nothing at all about the size of the system. Carnot (French engineer, 1796 - 1832) found that the theoretical efficiency of an engine operating on the Carnot thermodynamic cycle depends only on the temperatures of the hot and cold reservoirs.

Describing a nuclear reactor the books says, "so there is a need to constantly keep feeding in new uranium material in order to keep the consistent, steady flow of energy that is desired from a nuclear reactor." Nuclear reactors powering electrical generating stations or naval vessels control the power output by raising and lowering neutron-absorbing control rods. New nuclear material is added only during refueling, which take place every year or two while the reactor is shut down.

The book states that steam is produced in a nuclear power plant in "the boiler (this is similar to the boilers used for fossil fuels.) The steam in a nuclear plant is produced in a steam generator that is far different in design than a fossil fuel boiler.

The book states, "Some reactors don't allow the water to boil; they keep it under high pressure and use that pressure to spin the turbine." In every common reactor system, the water that cools the reactor in the end produces steam. For example high pressure water that goes through the reactor in a pressurized water reactor turns lower pressure water in a separate circuit into steam in the steam generator, which is just a big water to water heat exchanger. All turbines that drive generators in reactor plants are steam turbines.

All of us must start with simple descriptions of new things. But one can not stop there if one wants to make accurate decisions. It is not common sense or higher moral values that drive innovation, but rigorous and often difficult engineering together with a knowledge of the economics of energy markets and knowledge of systems installation costs and operating costs.






... Read more

Product Description
In Solar Revolution, fund manager and former corporate buyout specialist Travis Bradford argues—on the basis of standard business and economic forecasting models—that over the next two decades solar energy will increasingly become the best and cheapest choice for most electricity and energy applications. Solar Revolution outlines the path by which the transition to solar technology and sustainable energy practices will occur.

Developments in the photovoltaic (PV) industry over the last ten years have made direct electricity generation from PV cells a cost-effective and feasible energy solution, despite the common view that PV technology appeals only to a premium niche market. Bradford shows that PV electricity today has become the choice of hundreds of thousands of mainstream homeowners and businesses in many markets worldwide, including Japan, Germany, and the American Southwest.

Solar energy will eventually be the cheapest source of energy in nearly all markets and locations because PV can bypass the aging and fragile electricity grid and deliver its power directly to the end user, fundamentally changing the underlying economics of energy. As the scale of PV production increases and costs continue to decline at historic rates, demand for PV electricity will outpace supply of systems for years to come.

Ultimately, the shift from fossil fuels to solar energy will take place not because solar energy is better for the environment or energy security, or because of future government subsidies or as yet undeveloped technology. The solar revolution is already occurring through decisions made by self-interested energy users. The shift to solar energy is inevitable and will be as transformative as the last century's revolutions in information and communication technologies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

A reasonable, but dated and opinionated introduction
This book introduces the reader to photovoltaic solar energy and argues why solar energy is the only long-term alternative. However, since this book was published in 2006, lot of information is dated. It may be OK for readers who are reading their very first book on the topic. Others are unlikely to find it satisfying.

Great book not a "go green" take on it, but an economics viewpoint
Great book that discusses the future of energy. This in not a save the planet type book, it gives an analysis for how we will get our energy in the future and the outcome of that analysis is solar. Bradford does a great job of using conservative estimates and giving both sides of the argument as much as possible within the scope of the book. I would recommend this book to anyone that wants to know the mechanics of why the shift to solar will happen from a dollars and cents and economics standpoint.

Better titled "The Estimated Rough Economics of Photovoltaics"
This should have been a magazine article in the Economist, not a book.As other reviewers have explained, this is about photovoltaics and only photovoltaics (PV) and even at that it's limited.True, other energy sources are mentioned, such as hydrogen fuel cells, but they get about half a page.

It would be better titled "The Estimated Economics of Photovoltaics."But even at that it's weak.Photovoltaics come in many forms from rigid structures to concentrators to flexible fabrics.Only round numbers are used, such as, "In the case of photovoltaic modules, the cost to produce them in the late 1970s was around $25 per watt but has since dropped to less than $3.50 per kW,..."(p, 109) But there's no mention of the applicable configuration.

Some things are footnoted, like "Various forms of solar energy have been used since prehistoric times."But others, like Figure 7.2 where today's PV costs are shown at $6 per watt are not.And the $6 per watt in Figure 7.2 hardly correlates with the $3.50 quoted above for production costs.Yes, I know one is production cost, the other presumably installed cost, but even that isn't clear and an installed cost that's 1700 times production cost deserves some explanation.

I couldn't find one reference to actual PV conversion efficiency, yet there are statements such as "Even at today's efficiency of PV cells, the land required would be 10 million acres, or 0.4 percent of the total land area of the United States."Perhaps the efficiency assumption is buried in the primary documents but it should be shown here since it's pivotal.I didn't notice any reference to the fact that today's PV's degrade over time.PV efficiency and life is fundamental to PV economics.

There are few diagrams, all economics and order of magnitude.

It is clear that a lot of work went into preparing and documenting the book, but in the end you can't do much with what's here.If you wanted, for example, to crudely estimate say the cost of a megawatt of photovoltaic power so you could compare it to say Nevada Solar One, the solar concentrator facility outside Boulder, NV, you only have the $6 per watt from the chart quoted earlier and that gets you to $6 million/megawatt.But you don't know what PV efficiency that's based on.(Solar One's cost is about $4 million/megawatt)

From this book you'd think PV's were the future.But the Europeans are moving ahead with solar thermal at the bulk stage.Do PV's make sense for example on say roof tops and solar thermal makes more sense at the utility level?From this book, you can't even begin to answer that question, or know if a breakthrough in PV efficiency would make a difference.

I liked one of the reviews on the back cover..."deeply researched and hopeful."Says it all, and says nothing.

Wish I could refer you to a better book, but haven't found one yet.There's material on the net.Scientific American's September 2006 and March 2009 issues cover the technologies briefly, but are weak on the economics.There's an absence of clear economic data on solar energy sources.

You Say You Want A Revolution
I'm trying to do my part in promoting clean energy by investing in green stocks including companies like First Solar, Vestas, Suntech and General Electric so what I wanted to get from this book was some information on whether or not I'm making a wise investment. More specifically I wanted to know what is currently holding back solar energy and the possible timetable for a worldwide energy revolution. The author answered most of my questions but new ones arose. Make no mistake the author is a solar power proponent so there is little to no criticism of it as an emerging energy source.

After getting through a history of energy and comparison of new alternative solutions the author finally gets down to the nuts and bolts. The benefits of solar power include its ability to be deployed quickly and in a piecemeal manner. Solar power can start generating energy in months rather than the years that it takes to build a traditional power plant and additional panels can be brought online as needed. Countries like Japan and Germany that are leading the world in solar power deployment are creating their solar infrastructure in a distributed manner. Individuals can generate there own electricity with panels installed on their homes and then send the excess into a 'smart' grid. Unlike wind power, which is considered by some to be an eyesore, solar panels can be created as "roofing materials, architectural glass, and potentially paint and plastic casing"

The author writes, "The amount of sunlight that falls on the earth every day is equivalent to the total energy that is used by the earth's current population in twenty seven years" What is holding solar power back as a viable alternative to fossil fuel energy is simply cost per watt and the barrier is shrinking every day. The lowest cost for a PV system was $5 per watt in 2005 but First Solar has set a goal of 65 cents by 2012. In one chart the author shows solar power costing between 15 and 27 cents per kWh while other forms of energy ranging from 3 to 15 cents per kWh so there is a gap to close. Mr. Bradford points out that the gap is even smaller than it appears because in addition to the apparent cost we pay for energy, taxpayers pay billions in hidden costs including military costs and the environmental price of using dirty fuels. Once solar power approaches parity with fossil fuels we will likely see a positive feedback loop as increased usage cause prices to drop creating increased usage. As the world's appetite for energy grows solar energy is the perfect solution in that the regions of the world most in need of energy are the same regions that are flush with sunlight and in those areas solar energy doesn't need to compete with an already existing fossil fuel energy grid.

One major problem with this book is that the breakneck speed of technology has left it woefully out of date having been published in 2006. The author writes that the "current" six percent efficiency ceiling of PV panels may reach 30 percent in three to five years. However, in late 2006 a solar cell broke the 40 percent efficiency barrier so the author's prediction was too conservative and the book is already outdated. The author's confidence in efficiency improvements was in response to new solar cells that could generate electricity from light rays outside the visible spectrum which leads to one of the questions I had that the author didn't answer. If electricity can be generated using rays outside the visible spectrum does this mean that electrical energy could be generated even on a cloudy day in winter? This is important for someone like myself who lives in northern Ohio.

I'm 100% sold on solar power but I would like to know what the feasibility and environmental impact is of manufacturing millions of solar panels. I mean that is a lot of material. That's one subject never addressed in the book. My belief is that if solar energy is not adopted soon my portfolio value may well be irrelevant given climate change and other problems related to having a fossil fuel based energy policy so I might as well place my bet. I found this book informative however even at a slender 200 pages it still seemed to have quite a bit of filler and as mentioned previously its numbers are out of date.

It's happening now
Great book.I have taken a renewed interest in solar power the past few years and everything this fellow wrote about only a few years ago is coming to fruition.As the utility companies come to see having residential solar installations not as competition, but rather as a way to ease stress on the grid during peak usage periods (when the sun is the brightest), meaning less brownouts, and less need for new substations, you'll see the rate of change accelerate.And need I say anything about the obvious fact that the Obama Administration is going to kick the renewable energy field and solar into a new gear? ... Read more

Product Description
Gives instructions for a variety of simple experiments that explore and explain different forms of energy. ... Read more

Product Description
This groundbreaking book explains how to tap into your body's energy not only to change your health, but to change your behaviors and thought patterns as well.

Your body is comprised of energy pathways and energy centers that are in constant motion, a dynamic interplay with other energies and with your cells, organs, immune system, mood, and thoughts. If you can shift these energies, you can influence your physical health, your emotional patterns, and your state of mind.

The Healing Power of Energy Psychology gives simple step-by-step instructions that will help you to:

- overcome fear, guilt, shame, jealousy, or anger
- change unwanted habits and behaviors
- enhance your ability to love, succeed, and enjoy life

The energy approach presented in this book can help bring about significant change in your life. With this strategy, stubborn phobias often fade in minutes; the lifelong effects of an early trauma can frequently be reduced or completely eliminated; uncontrollable anger can rapidly become manageable; even elusive physical problems may respond where other treatments have failed. The Healing Power of Energy Psychology is an amazing tool that puts the ability to effect change directly into your hands, and finally gives you control over your fears, pain, and destructive behaviors. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Kudos from a Chakra Author
I have written a book and teach classes on the chakras and have found the exercises in this book to be very useful in helping my students move through places of stuck energy in the body. The book works with the meridians, but the meridians do go through the chakras. Opening any parts of our energy systems helps to open other parts of it. I bring this book to my classes and recommend it to my students. The exercises in the "Circuits of Joy" chapter are very easy and effective for feeling more connected in the body and releasing emotional pain to feel lighter and more joyful. Great exercises for depression. The descriptions and diagrams are clear and easy to understand. Tapping is also a well-proven technique for releasing emotional trauma and self-limitations. It is used by therapists of various modalities, and is taught in this book. I thought I had lost my copy, and ordered a second one. I found the first one and gave the new one to my daughter, who is a counselor. She also likes it very much. This, and "Energy Medicine" by Donna Eden, are two books I would not be without...Marcia Phillips, author of "Seven Portals To Your Soul: An Accessible Guide for Mending Your Life".

Lack of science, lots of snake oil
Question:Where are the results of the peer-reviewed, randomized, controlled, double-blind studies?

Answer:There aren't any!!

This book is the equivalent of getting the cart before the horse.If it's so effective, then let's have the scientific evidence that shows its efficacy.Most books written by psychologists are written on the basis of the result of years of scientific research that use accepted research methods.This book is written on the "promise" of studies that might be done "someday" and nothing but excuses for why there are yet to be any proper studies.Sorry, but I don't have time or money to waste on "promises" as there are many, many promises that never come to fruition.At this point, this promise isn't science.It's snake oil.The funniest part is a pilot study would be sooooo simple to conduct, which would then either make way for more research or lay the matter to rest, if only there were a scientist in the room!

Energy Healing - EFT
This is one of the very best books on Energy Healing I have come across. A fully detailed method of healing emotional turmoil by using EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique)is described in the first half of the book. Wonderful energy exercizes complete this wonderful book on healing self. Outstanding energy healing for self. Highly recommended.

newest discovery since BF Skinner
This is a real breakthrough in treatment for emotional issues. I like the
science that backs this up and the fact that an engineer created this.

Lack of Index
I returned this book unread because there's no Index.How do the authors think you are going to look anything up in this book after you've read it? Apparently, they think you won't want to look anything up.If the information contained is of so little value, why read it in the first place?I wish Amazon included information about an Index or lack thereof in the spec's. ... Read more

Product Description
More than two billion people worldwide have currently no access to grid electricity or other efficient energy supply. This is one third of humanity and the majority live in rural areas. The productivity and health of these people are diminished by reliance on traditional fuels and technologies, with women and children suffering most. Energy is the key element to empower people and ensure water, food and fodder supply as well as rural development. Therefore access to energy should be treated as the fundamental right to everybody. Renewable energy has the potential to bring power, not only in the literal sense, to communities by transforming their prospects.

This book offers options that meet the needs of people and communities for energy and engage them in identifying and planning their own provision. It describes updated renewable energy technologies and offers strategies and guidelines for the planning and implementation of sustainable energy supply for individuals and communities. ... Read more

Product Description

Proven Strategies and Solutions for Reducing Energy Consumption

Property and facility managers can turn to Energy-Efficient Building Systems as a one-stop guide to operating and maintaining commercial building systems at peak efficiency. Designed to help reduce energy costs and meet environmental standards, this state-of-the-art productivity tool contains fully illustrated, real-world examples of successful green building projects that have achieved significant, energy-saving results.

From energy management and auditing, HVAC systems, cooling towers, and pumping systems…to lighting, electrical systems, automation, and building envelope, this expert resource takes readers step by step through procedures for getting optimal performance from every building system. For each system, the book presents the latest methods for improving efficiency…identifying promising new solutions…evaluating their feasibility…and estimating actual savings. Comprehensive and authoritative, Energy-Efficient Building Systems enables building professionals to:

Product Description
If you’ve wondered about how America can break links between oil consumption, terrorism, and the war in Iraq, A Declaration of Energy Independence: How Freedom from Foreign Oil Can Improve National Security, Our Economy, and the Environment will show you how our country can gain energy independence and solve its energy crisis. Written by a top energy expert, this book outlines seven economically and politically viable ways America can more efficiently use and produce energy. Find out how carbon fuels negatively impact our lives and understand the political framework of the energy crisis. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Excellent work!
Every American should read "A Declaration of Energy Independence: How Freedom from Foreign Oil Can Improve National Security, Our Economy, and the Environment" by Jay Hakes.

I believe this book will become the defining introduction to the subject/issue of energy independence.

Ron Bengtson
Founder
[...]

Fair and balanced
I was very impressed by the objective way this book gives the reader a good understanding of energy policy over the past 60+ years and what we can do to help our dependence on foreign oil.Mr. Hakes covers the politics with fairness and balance and presents the issues without bias.If only outr leaders would listen to half of this, we would be so much beter off and on our way to enery independence.

Energy Independence-what you need to do now
Outstanding book that needs to be read by the administration and congress.It tells in clear and very readable language what is happening today in our country's energy problems.Written by an author with a wealth of experience in the field, it states clearly what actions need to be taken by our leaders and that we must push them to act, especially congress (presidents can lead but congress really makes change or no change happen).

I especially like his intelligent comments on his "Seven economically and politically viable paths to energy independence".The chapter on "Make Energy Conservation a patriotic duty" is a call to action for all of us and one we need to get leaders at the state and national level to help us make happen.

A well-written book that can be quickly read but you will find yourself going back to reread many pertinent areas.

Over a Barrel
The energy crisis is upon us and shows no signs of long term relief. Face it, $3.00 a gallon gas will only exist in stories we tell our children and grandchildren. The question of how we went from abundance to bust is complex. Often we're just as much to blame as the oil companies and OPEC. No one explains this better than Jay Hakes, the former head of the US Department of Energy's Energy Information Administration. Mr. Hakes has written a highly readable book entitled "A Declaration of Energy Independence" which outlines not only how we got were we are but perhaps more importantly, what to do about it. If you're looking for answers about what we can do about the energy crisis, start with this book.

Timely, mostly very accurate
Have you ever wondered why 80% of the cars in Europe have standard transmissions while 80% in the USA have automatics? While that question does not appear in this book, the answer does.

Jay Hakes is, by training and experience, a researcher and data cruncher. Given Hakes' background, I was surprised to find the text was so readable. I had expected wordy prose in passive voice, but it's not that at all. He presented a huge amount of information in the fairly tight space of 230 pages, and yet kept the narrative flowing.

Hakes uses his special qualifications to build the foundation for recommendations that are right on target. He also uses these qualifications to build the (strong) case for following those recommendations. While many people are in denial that there's an energy problem, the reality is we do have one. We also have a closely related pollution problem, largely from the same causes.

This book has one glaring flaw that I will discuss in detail at the end of this review. I don't want to start off discussing it because this book is, on the whole, an excellent work that provides a dose of reality and reason that is badly needed among our misrepresentatives in Congress as they go about their usual job of making poor public policy.

One of Hakes' core philosophies is that there is no silver bullet that will solve our energy problem. It's a complex problem with a myriad of causes. It requires a myriad of solutions.

One of those solutions is waste reduction. We can slash energy demand by simply being less wasteful. This doesn't mean extremist measures such as turning thermostats down to 55 DegrF in the winter, as recommended by Jimmy Carter. Other, more reasonable measures can cut energy demands significantly. Hakes provides an excellent overview of such measures. I won't list them here.

Millions of individuals and businesses are already implementing these (and other) measures to varying extents. There are economic and other pressures to make this happen. But even with waste reduction measures being increasingly adopted on a voluntary basis, there is plenty of room for improvement in this area--without becoming severe about it.

Hakes doesn't harp on conservation (buzzword today is "efficiency") as "the solution." Nor does he present some complex, integrated program or claim that only government or only the market can do the job. Instead, he presents several solutions that draw on government and the private sector, acting in their proper roles. Hakes is not a self-proclaimed expert with a personal agenda to push. Instead, he's produced a timely work of research that is, with the exceptions noted here, authoritative and well-substantiated.

So, what's actually in this book? It consists of three parts and fifteen chapters.

Part One consists of seven chapters, and it explains why our lack of energy independence is a problem. The first chapter explains how we got to the not very good position we find ourselves in now. Chapter Two shows how we won our energy independence in the late 1970s. Chapter 3 explains how we lost it again. I appreciate this particular sequence of chapters, as it builds the proper foundation for what follows.

Chapter 4 discusses the huge cost we pay militarily. What Hakes didn't point out is the USA spends more on its military than the next nine nations combined. Which explains quite a bit about why we are now the poorest nation in history, saddled with a debt approaching $10 trillion.

Chapter 5 doesn't belong in the book. I provide a detailed excoriation of it at the end of this review.

Chapter 6 explains, correctly, why "market solutions" alone cannot solve our energy problems. Chapter 7 explains why liberals and conservatives can come together on it. That's the horizontal plane of the political arena. The vertical plane, which Hakes doesn't mention, consists of the statists and the libertarians (not referring to the Libertarian Party). Hakes correctly explains the proper role of government in helping to solve the energy dependence problem.

Part Two consists of another seven chapters, each of which describes a path to energy independence. I won't list the actual recommendations, because doing so is a bit like revealing the plot of a movie before the other person has seen it. I will say the prevailing technical literature supports the economics and feasibility of his recommendations (some tweaking may be required).

Part Three consists of Chapter 15. Here, Hakes discusses what he feels we need from public policy makers and from voters. But he errs in advising people to make energy an election issue. If you look at the history of elections in the USA, you will see we really have a single-party system. No matter which arm of the Demopublican Party gets "elected," we still end up with massive over-regulation, egregious overspending, and wars. So, you don't have the power of choice at the ballot (at least, not on the federal level where the big money is in play). Your only power there is the power of objection, and to exercise that power you cannot vote Republican or Democrat.

To get our misrepresentatives in Congress involved in good public policy related to energy (or anything else), you have reach their actual employers: the special interest groups that hire the lobbyists. You may not personally be able to afford a $10,000 seat at a fund-raising dinner that gives you an audience with your misrepresentatives, but as a consumer you can lobby those who pay the lobbyists. You can vote with your dollars, for example, in buying a fuel-efficient car instead of an SUV and then send a letter (explaining your choice) to Public Relations at the auto companies you didn't buy from. That's just one example of the power you can wield to effect change.

Unfortunately, Hakes doesn't take this reality into account when he talks about public policy. That doesn't change the technical accuracy of his research or his recommendations. If he could wave a magic wand and make his recommendations simply happen, I'd be all for it.

Hakes and Global Warming
While most of the book reflects thorough research and reasoned analysis, Hakes does have the religion of "global warming." When he's writing in the throes of religious fervor, all reason leaves him--and I mean that literally. While the rest of the book carefully builds arguments and backs statements with facts, "global warming" is presented as a self-evident truth that only infidels do not accept.

Hakes devotes an entire chapter (Chapter 5) to this particular theology and yet the few facts supporting it are cherry-picked and he spews a few discredited statements such as those about "consensus of scientists." Rather than excising the material (which is unnecessary to the main points of the book), he defends this "faith-based" viewpoint by asserting such things as we don't really need the data and people pick on Al Gore instead of listening to his message (which, based on Al's behavior, is "waste as much as you can").

A huge danger in spreading this particular religion is it sets the stage for the carbon tax scheme, which will divert smart minds away from focusing on the problems of efficiency to focusing on how to game the new tax scheme. This diversion of rare resources is one of the big problems we have right now with that mess we call the Federal Income Tax (the tax code consists of 64,000 pages of absurdity). Anyone wishing to exacerbate our existing problems will find this new scheme very helpful.

Here are some facts not mentioned by Hakes:

Remember the August 2006 heat wave that killed so many people in Europe and the USA? We saw that heat wave coming, and not because of carbon dioxide levels. We knew it was coming because we could see a solar flare that was 50 earth diameters in size (the sun rotates, so we see some anomalies before we are in their path). That's an enormous amount of energy. Anything man can do is insignificant compared to that.

The sun so dwarfs the earth that if you were to use a basketball to represent the sun, you would not be able to see the earth with the unaided eye (unless you can see something only 1 millionth the size of that ball). A little variation of the sun causes a lot of variation here (and on Mars). Energy from the sun reaches us in only 8 seconds.

Mars has shown warming signs similar to our own (yes, we do have warming--but also cooling). Read about Mars warming, and you will see this. What do Mars and Earth have in common? Hint: it's not SUVs.

We have had record cold at both of our poles in recent years. Just this year, the military had to cancel a training exercise due to record low temperatures. Last year, icebreakers opened an Antarctic migratory channel (the size of Texas, if I recall) that had inexplicably frozen over--biologists said failure to do so would have caused massive kill-offs of Antarctic life. Why doesn't Hakes mention such things in his proselytizing and explain them away? It appears we have more weather cycling between extremes, rather than global warming or, as some assert, an impending ice age. Since contradictory data can support either claim, maybe another theory makes more sense?

I read that 80% of the record high temperatures over the past two centuries occurred before 1950, but couldn't trace that back to an authoritative source. What's a fact is that 1,000 years before the invention of the SUV Greenland was actually green and didn't have ice--much warmer than today. The remains of the grass huts are still there. And a mile under today's glacier are the remains of a lush forest.

Carbon in the air does not explain why we are seeing volcanic activity under the ice at both poles or why the poles themselves are moving (you can find the pole movement history online).

Using core samples, we have found past eras with markedly lower carbon and markedly higher temperatures. What's the correlation between carbon and temperature?
Hakes refers reverently to the infamous Rio conference on environmental issues, with no mention of the enormous piles of waste that conference generated or the fact that Al Gore chose a chartered jet instead of saving fuel and flying commercial like everyone else. Gore's motivation has nothing to do with "saving the planet" and everything to do with sating the outsized ego of Al Gore (and, of course, adding even more millions of dollars to his millions of dollars of net worth).

Hakes tries to nullify any objection to Al Gore by remarking that people like to hate Al Gore and so don't listen to him. No, we hate Al Gore precisely because we have listened to him and are downright sick of his blatant and voluminous lies. In 2006, Gore inflicted the world with a fraudumentary that should have been named, "It's Inconvenient for Me to Tell the Truth." Various analysts have produced rebuttals identifying 40+ errors of fact or outright falsehoods. That's hardly a work of nonfiction.

From a June, 2008 issue of The Week: "Al Gore's energy consumption at his spacious Tennessee home rose 10 percent in 2007, despite the installation of solar panels and more efficient light bulbs. Gore still consumes 50% more electricity every month than the average American does in a year."

Looks like Al doesn't believe his own spiel. Who should know better than Al himself that he's peddling absolute nonsense? He's telling us this in no uncertain terms, which is rather sporting of him. Hakes should forget about global warming, and we should all forget about Al Gore. We do not need these "ignore the data" theories or "make Al Gore rich" programs to drive home the point that we need to be better stewards of our resources.

I say this as a person who, unlike Al Gore, has a negative carbon foot print (yep, I absorb more carbon than I release). I've been on the "save energy" bandwagon since I was a little kid. That's because my parents realized money doesn't grow on trees. They were taught Depression era economics as kids, and they passed that thinking on to their kids. Waste not, want not. I have so structured my energy-conscious life that I buy gasoline only once every six weeks despite living in a Midwestern suburb with no mass transit. ... Read more

Product Description
LIFE IS STRESSFUL
And Stress burns away our precious Life-force energy,
causing energy depletion ailments

You have the power to transform this scenario for your self. You can actualize your choice to heal and change your life through dedicated application of the time-tested techniques in this book.

Learn to identify the dreadful results of continued energy loss on your health, and then learn breakthrough techniques to regain the health and vitality that is your birth right! You were not born to be sick and tired! Healing is something you have to learn and apply yourself. You can do it!  The power comes from within. You need only discover its source and learn how to use it.

This book not only teaches you how, it guides you step-by-step through the process.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Not what I was hoping and searching for.....
I am sure that for some people this book will be a good tool, for me it was boring and a little bit unrealistic. And that is it, how many brakes do you have during the day to meditate and or journey about this or that, not only that her way of meditating takes forever, but it seems to work for author, like magic. I am happy for the author that found the "cure" to her illness and for the other people she assures it did too. Shamanism is great because it is your own experience, you don't have to depend on anyone else to do the job for you, so go on journey and experience and heal yourself and use all these different books as helping tools but it is unrealistic to expect that the outcome will be exactly the same or to assure people that this book is the answer.

Find the light.
If you have ever suffered from, or are currently suffering from, any kind of chronic disorder, depression, CFIDS etc, this book is a god-send.The author gives you clear, easy to follow, step by step methods to bring energy and healing back into your life.If you try even one of the many techniques taught in this book, you will be amazed at the change it will make in your life.I ran across a saying once that has always stuck with me. "When you find yourself at the end of the light you have within you, and must step into the darkness of the unknown, you will either find a someplace solid to stand on, or you will learn to fly."For anyone who has faced that darkness of dealing with a condition such as chronic fatigue, depression, etc.. this book will teach you how to fly back into the light, with grace and love.Even if you are not dealing with a health crisis, this book teaches you techniques that will carry into and help improve all aspects of your life.

Torch of Hope
Inner Power is full of gifts given to the people from the Creator/Spirits to bring balance, harmony, healing, inner peace and power, and wholeness to ourselves and each other. I didn't write this book for fame or fortune, or to be an author. I am merely the vessel the writings flowed through, a humble instrument of Spirit. Using the ways of living, being and healing described here I, with the help of Spirit, healed myself from CFIDS, fibromyalgia, hypoglycemia, hypothyroidism and asthma. This book was written for You, to help you learn and utilize simple, potent tools and techniques that facilitate healing and cultivate whole soul living. I hope that you don't need this book, but if you do, I hope it helps you become the healthy, whole, peaceful, powerful person you have the potential to become. My wish is that starting today we will all shine brightly and walk together in peace. Many Spirit Blessings, Colleen

This book provides a torch of hope in the dark night of your ailment that will light your path as you search for your soul-self, make that connection, and ultimately succeed in becoming whole.The secret of healing is that we can personally activate energy flow that creates internal harmony and balance.Within the chapters of this book, you will find the techniques that will teach you and empower you to become the expert of your self-healing.If you truly desire to energize or heal yourself, then allow these techniques to take you to a new level of living.Regain your life now, come with me on this adventure of self-discovery and learn how easy it is to heal yourself.Open and reconnect with the energy of the life force that flows through and around you.Let it flow freely through your emotions, mind, body, and soul.Healing will happen. As the author of this book, I can assure you that Inner Power will help YOU find your inner power, inner healer, inner wisdom and inner peace. These 6 techniques are the tools that helped me heal from agonizing illness. These 6 techniques have given me my life back. These 6 techniques will help you do the same. Come on, turn your inner spark into a roaring flame! You've Got The Power! Colleen

Colleen Deatsman is the Author of Seeing in the Dark: Claim Your Own Shamanic Power Now and in the Coming Age paperback, Seeing in the Dark: Claim Your Own Shamanic Power Now and in the Coming Age Kindle, and Energy for Life: Connect with the Source (Next Step), Naked To My Soul: How I Beat Chronic Illness, and numerous on-line and magazine articles. She holds a Masters Degree and is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Social Worker, Shamanic Practitioner, Energy Movement Healer, Reiki Master, Certified Hypnotherapist, andCertified Alternative Healing Consultant at Circle of Life Counseling and Healing Services in Mason, Michigan. Colleen is a professional that you can count on because she is also an expert by personal experience.

A first hand account of a healer's path to her own health
Collen Deatsman's own account of what inspired her path towards shamanism and integrating it into her healing practice. After training in more traditional methods she was pushed to recapture her health and bring back her vital life force. An intimate detail of the wisdom and power of energy medicine. Not to miss for those who want to explore shamanic healing for their own empowerment.

Brilliant & Easy to Follow
Ms Deatman's grasp of the subject and her ability to convey in the most simple of terms a step by step way a person can heal from chronic pain and/or illness is simply brilliant!The way she personalizes the subject by telling her own story adds power and credibility to her work.

I am a healer and I am strongly recommending this book to my clients. ... Read more

Product Description
During the last two decades many research and development activities related to energy have concentrated on efficient energy use and energy savings and conservation. In this regard, Thermal Energy Storage (TES) systems can play an important role, as they provide great potential for facilitating energy savings and reducing environmental impact. Thermal storage has received increasing interest in recent years in terms of its applications, and the enormous potential it offers both for more effective use of thermal equipment and for economic, large-scale energy substitutions. Indeed, TES appears to provide one of the most advantageous solutions for correcting the mismatch that often occurs between the supply and demand of energy. Despite this increase in attention, no book is currently available which comprehensively covers TES.

Presenting contributions from prominent researchers and scientists, this book is primarily concerned with TES systems and their applications. It begins with a brief summary of general aspects of thermodynamics, fluid mechanics and heat transfer, and then goes on to discuss energy storage technologies, environmental aspects of TES, energy and exergy analyses, and practical applications. Furthermore, this book provides coverage of the theoretical, experimental and numerical techniques employed in the field of thermal storage. Numerous case studies and illustrative examples are included throughout.

Some of the unique features of this book include:

• State-of-the art descriptions of many facets of TES systems and applications
• In-depth coverage of exergy analysis and thermodynamic optimization of TES systems
• Extensive new material on TES technologies, including advances due to innovations in sensible- and latent-energy storage
• Key chapters on environmental issues, sustainable development and energy savings
• Extensive coverage of practical aspects of the design, evaluation, selection and implementation of TES systems
• Wide coverage of TES-system modelling, ranging in level from elementary to advanced
• Abundant design examples, case studies and references

... Read more

Product Description
A practical guide for how to protect yourself, your business, and the people you care about from those who prey on and consume the energy of others.
* Outlines the basic laws that govern the interchange of life energy.
* Reveals how to calculate your own energy balance and identify personal danger zones.
* Offers exercise programs to attain a balanced personal energy level and build an "energy immune system".

Our lives are a constant exchange of energy. More often than not we are like molecules, randomly reacting and responding to external energy forces that we are not aware of. One such force is the energy vampire: individuals who take excessive amounts of energy without giving anything in return, leaving us drained and ineffectual.

Dorothy Harbour provides a clear guide to self-protection from individuals and situations that drain our personal energy. From exercises such as "musical aura stimulation" and meditations like "the pillar of light" we learn how to strengthen our auras and ground ourselves psychologically. Numerous case studies--from "love vampire" to "aura protection against sexual harassment"--teach us how to recognize the energy vampires in our midst. Other helpful practices demonstrate how to cleanse our subconscious of "psycho-trash," protect ourselves and family from energy vampires, and even lovingly cure the vampires themselves. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Interesting book
I found the case studies in the book very interesting. I would never have believed a few years ago that such things exist but something happened to me a few years ago that I could not explain. I had always been in a very good health, running marathons and recovering quickly from illnesses. Then suddenly I had no force even for walking, I was extremely stressed and afraid of something inside me.
Through spritual meditation and connection to my higher self (that took me about a year) I realised I was being drained of energy. I went to a specialist and it turned out somebody (a healer I had visited 2,5 years ago!) was connected to my heart chakra.
I have been free for a month now and my face does not look so drained any more. I have more energy but I still struggle with fear (can't change that overnight).
I bought this book in order to protect myself from now onwards. If such a phenomina as bio vampirism exists, the measures described by Dorothy Harbor should also work. However, I still cannot see my own aura=)

Great resource for becoming aware of your energy, and assisting in stopping the drain of it
Bottom Line: Buy It
Great resource!It spelled out a lot about why perhaps, certain people make you feel certain ways (some you like to be around and feel happy and good, others seem to make you tired).The author also gave examples of cases, where she helped people who were being drained (in most cases completely unaware of it) and lists what exercises she had them do to protect themselves.
The book is also filled with exercises you can do to help clear, strengthen and protect your energy.Fantastic exercises to do, no matter how you feel, but especially great to do when you feel tired or rundown in anyway (even better if you notice it right after socializing or being around particular people).
I didn't find it religious, which was nice..meaning when you do the exercises you could insert your own particular beliefs (i.e. the white light could be Jesus for you, or whomever).
My one complaint, is I wished the exercises were printed in a way you could easily make a copy (for your personal reference when attempting each exercise) or better yet on tear out cards.
Would also recommend Energy Medicine by Donna Eden, as it has numerous exercises for strengthening, and correcting energy flows.

Practical and a good reference
I found this book extremely interesting, especially the introduction. Even though there are some exercises that I wouldn't do myself, that involve rituals, but the mental exercises were extremely efficient.

I also loved the case studies, which explained a lot of behaviors/traits that others possess and certain cases that I could use and benefit greatly if I was ever in that particular situation, especially when it comes to pressure in the workplace.

I still can't see auras
I have come in for a lot of ribbing for buying this book, even from people who unequivocally believe some other people are out to bleed you dry. I think the defensive shield-raising exercises are as good as anything else around, but I don't think aura-viewing is something everyone can develop as easily as the author suggests.I'm going to lend it to my metaphysically-inclined friend who had never heard of grounding and centering and shielding.

not new material. . .
This book describes will how moral choices can save us from victimization.The parts about holiness or "positive energy" as a defense against people who would use us through physical means is also good advice.The thoughts on how to achieve a state of holiness are crude to non existent. The book also neglects to show us the very phenomena that the book's title advertises.
If you are looking for a book that tells you instances of people avoiding physical threats, the you will appreciate parts of this book.However, many authors have illustrated adequately these situations and in my opinion in much more completely and appropriately.As for the phenomena of psychic vampirism, the subject is not adequately addressed. ... Read more

Product Description
With Profiting from Clean Energy, respected investment analyst Richard Asplund provides an in-depth explanation of the technology and industry structure behind various sectors of this field and in the process identifies more than 150 stocks related to clean energy. Along the way, Asplund discusses exactly what it takes to effectively invest in clean energy—whether it be through buying individual stocks, investing in green exchange-traded funds or mutual funds, or trading the biofuel and carbon credit markets. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Complete, useful green investment guide
Clean energy's time has come. President Barack Obama's administration is emphasizing this point and communities worldwide are confirming it. As a result, clean energy research has become one of today's hottest topics, which makes Richard W. Asplund's book especially timely. This comprehensive, scholarly guide teaches investors about the factors that drive the clean energy business. Asplund explains the critical variables of various clean energy resources and identifies major companies in each specialized area. getAbstract recommends this reference work to active, self-guided investors who are interested in exploring clean energy's profit potential. They will appreciate Asplund's valuable research, which includes detailed explanations of green technology innovations and other current industry data.

Excellent Book

The author has done an excellent job !!!
This book is very informative and has been very well researched one.
Everything you wanted to know about clean energy is availble her. ... Read more

Product Description

A groundbreaking book on solving our growing energy problems

In this visionary book, leading energy industry executive Robert Hefner puts forth a convincing case about how the world can move beyond its current dependence on oil and toward a new era of clean, renewable energy.

Written with the knowledge and authority of a major player in this industry, Hefner relates how misguided government policies and vested industry interests have contributed to our current energy problems and proposes a variety of measures that could encourage the use of natural gas, solar, wind, and hydrogen.

• Convincingly makes the case that natural gas is the essential bridge fuel to a new era of clean, renewable energy sources
• Details how natural gas can help break our oil and coal dependency
• Offers a sweeping, historic picture of the world energy situation
• Presents a compelling and provocative case that natural gas is key to our short-term energy problems

A well-written and engaging book that mixes personal anecdotes and experiences with insightful analysis, The Grand Energy Transition is a powerful argument about how we can best solve our toughest energy problems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Interesting read
I found this book to be very informative regarding the future of our energy use in this country and insightful to the economic policies at hand.

Hard to Evaluate -
Hefner's "The Grand Energy Transition" rambles on for 200+ pages, making the case that America is blessed with abundant, affordable supplies of natural gas that can be scaled up in the near future to become the bridge fuel to an energy sustainable future, and that these supplies, supplemented by Alaskan natural gas and the world's liquefied natural gas are adequate to fuel at least half our vehicle fleet for decades and replace our oldest, inefficient coal-fired electric power generation. The problem is that he offers almost no documentation of his natural gas reserves claims, nor the affordability of drilling and using it. (Would require refitting autos and trucks, new distribution system as well.)

On the other hand, T. Boone Pickens (established credibility) is on the same track, and 'official' reserve estimates were recently increased to the range Hefner claims. Still, I'm left wondering about its efficacy as a motor fuel - I used to drive a natural gas-powered bus, and found it so slow starting out at an intersection that it was hard getting across before the traffic light changed. Then there was my experience driving a propane-powered propane delivery truck. It was faster than the bus, but LEAKED!

Fascinating book about the transition of energy use
A persuasive read that explains not only the abundance of America's natural gas supplies but how increased use of the country's domestic natural gas can provide the crucial bridge to move us closer to the sustainability of clean renewables. Thought provoking! Even if you're not in the energy industry -- and perhaps especially if you're not in the energy industry -- this book is an important read to understand why and how we need to adjust the types of energy fuels we use.

The Grand Energy Transition
For a quick, easy, NOW answer to begin solving our energy crisis, this book has the answers.Everyone should read this, and let Washington know what they need to do!Pass the word to everyone!

We need to de-couple oil and natural gas
This is one of the most compelling and important energy books I've ever read.Essentially, Hefner argues we have much more natural gas than generally appreciated and that ramping up natgas production and usage is the most practical solution to reducing our dependence on foreign oil and our CO2 emissions.

Unfortunately, I'm afraid too many people believe oil and natgas are variations on the same energy source and, thus, are likely to dismiss Hefner's message. We need to understand that natural gas is found independently of oil and the U.S. possesses enormous reserves of gas.Moreover, natgas is a cleaner fuel than coal and gasoline.Solar, wind power and other renewable energy sources will not come online anytime soon in sufficient quantities to make a dent in our oil usage.Natgas is the best short-term solution and can prove to be a transitional fuel until new energy technologies become viable on a large scale. In short, the answer to our energy problems is staring us in the face.
... Read more

Product Description

Addressing the sustainable energy crisis in an objective manner, this enlightening book analyzes the relevant numbers and organizes a plan for change on both a personal level and an international scale—for Europe, the United States, and the world. In case study format, this informative reference answers questions surrounding nuclear energy, the potential of sustainable fossil fuels, and the possibilities of sharing renewable power with foreign countries. While underlining the difficulty of minimizing consumption, the tone remains positive as it debunks misinformation and clearly explains the calculations of expenditure per person to encourage people to make individual changes that will benefit the world at large.

Customer Reviews (35)

Missed my stop twice because of it.
...because I was so engrossed.

First, I want to congratulate MacKay for being all about the numbers.He has his opinions, sure.But, in the end, what really matters with CO2 is boring old arithmetic:How much does it cost?How long will it last?How much energy can be delivered?How much energy can be saved?How much space will it take?More than anything else, he provides us with an intellectual toolkit on how to measure different approaches.Taking the basic raw numbers, such as incoming sunlight and available surface area, multiply them by an efficiency factor.Simple, elegant, powerful.

His approach also tells us where OUR own greatest energy use, as individuals, is likely coming from.Which tells us where WE can improve and where we should not bother.

Now, I don't agree with everything he says, but the observations below by no mean justify any less than 5 stars:

-Nuclear power may not be renewable, but say a 100 year supply of uranium would nicely tidy us over till we found other energy sources.So it shouldn't be dismissed that quickly.

-His numerical analysis is relentlessly English in outlook.England's geography imposes a fairly specific set of constraints that would apply differently to other countries.Which he admits - noting for example that the US could make solar energy work in its southwest deserts, as England could not.That's not so much a flaw with the book as, well, a feature.We need another edition for Canada and the US.

-I am not always fully convinced by his calculations.For example, he relates fuel consumption in cars to the cube of the speed, IIRC and backs it up with some empirical data.And also links it to the number of stop/starts in city driving.But, one of the most common recommendations we hear to save gas is to accelerate slowly which really does not appear in his calculations.Are we getting the full picture?I think a broader admission of the need for "engineering fudge factors", not just simple predictive equations, would have been welcome.

-Costs are not covered much.Seeing as there is only so much money around, the best solution may be the one which is affordable, not just the best that is theoretically possible.

Honestly, I am only mentioning these points to highlight how little there is to criticize about this book.Praising it with faint criticism if you wish.If only more of the climate change advocates were as rigorous in their analysis we would have much better much better sets of policy options to choose from.It is one thing to convince people that climate change is happening, another to convince them to take action, potentially at personal cost.If you then mess that up by prescribing insufficiently thought out, dogmatic, solutions that is really a shame.This book is a huge step towards teaching us how to analyze possible solutions critically.

Finally, one of his most important points is that we can't _always_ say NO to everything.Most renewables DO take up space and they DO change the environment.My area has had years of impact studies to birds and scenery of offshore wind turbines.Ditto run-of-river hydro objections.What it hasn't had is much new generation capacity.

exallent service!!!!!!
the book i ordered arrived in wonderful condition very quickly after i ordered it! thank you very much! wonderful doing business with you.

Cuts through all the misleading hype
Richard Feynman once asked me if energy is a conserved quantity how come we have so many different names for the same thing?All the different units, giga this, mega that, makes it hard for even an educated citizen to get his or her hands around the actual amounts of production and consumption.MacKay does a great job of solving that problem by using one understandable measure - kilowatts hours per person per day.In doing, so he highlights how significant the task of providing adequate energy is likely to become in future years and how little we have done about it to date.

Maybe the best non-fiction book I have ever read
It's such a good book. Almost every other book about renewable energy provides you with speculations. This book is about facts and numbers, but it's not boring or tiring. Reading it was not only informative, but also a great pleasure because it's extremely well written.

Approachable and Systematic Primer on Sustainable Energy
This book was amazingly well written, and frankly, it scared the hell out of me. In clear concise language the author describes many alternative energy sources without the flimsy "if everyone unplugged their cell phone chargers we could power X houses" foolishness. He used physics and graphs. To show the land costs of some of the energy projects he used *gasp* maps.

Our civilization needs to make hard decisions about our energy future. This book is an essential resource for citizens. It truly gives you the facts about energy sources without the Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt that many activists and lobbyists rely on. I know that I'm going to send a copy to all my representatives and tell them to get moving on helping the US become energy independent (a cause I didn't care that much about until reading this book).

And, finally, this is a free book. If you own a Kindle DX, go download the PDF in high definition from the author's website. The print is a little small, but it was worth saving the $30.
... Read more

Product Description

A result of the spotlight that has fallen on Africa as a key source of oil and gas outside volatile West Asia, this volume assembles contributions from an international team of experts and eminent persons in African affairs to provide an analytically rich assessment of Africa’s role in the global search for oil, the multiple consequences of energy production across the African continent, and India’s multifarious approach to Africa. This well-researched analysis is enriched by Indian and African perspectives and anchored in detailed country case studies. Bridging local perspectives on energy resources and global framing of energy as a security concern, this exploration transcends state-centered views of energy security.

Product Description
A Manual for the Economic Evaluation of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Technologies provides guidance on economic evaluation approaches, metrics, and levels of detail required, while offering a consistent basis on which analysts can perform analyses using standard assumptions and bases.It not only provides information on the primary economic measures used in economic analyses and the fundamentals of finance but also provides guidance focused on the special considerations required in the economic evaluation of energy efficiency and renewable energy systems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Manual available for free download on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) website
This Manual is available for free download at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory website (www.nrel.gov) or by going to http://www.nrel.gov/docs/legosti/old/5173.pdf

This manual was published by the National Renewable Energy Laboratoryin 1995
as NREL/TP-462-5173.It is available as a free pdf download from NREL. ... Read more

Product Description
A comprehensive guidebook to energy healing techniques featuring step-by step instructions and easy exercises for both new and more experienced healers.

Do you feel you have a gift for healing but don't know where to start?

Are you a new healer who needs some basic guidelines?

Do you need a healing reference book that answers your questions simply and clearly?

In her new book, world-renowned healer Ruth White tells you everything you need to know about energy healing. With clear instructions and simple exercises, her down-to-earth guide explains for mainstream readers the exciting method of this spiritual healing and precisely what it involves. Here is a book that is ideal for both novice and more seasoned healers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Energy Healing for Beginners
I anticipated receiving the same old information for Energy Healing, when I received this book .But boy was I surprised. Not that I thought I knew it all by a long shot.It helped me refresh information I had learned 30 years ago.This book put the information in simple terms that I was able to connect to and put into place of my over all knowledge.But the great awareness was that there was somethings I did not know, but by including them in this book it helps me do things easier to doing "Hands on Healing".I was very interested in helping to heal my self before I go back into the fieldEnergy Healing for Beginners: A Step-by-Step Guide to the Basics of Spiritual Healing

not very easy to understand
I started the book very
curious; however,
I lost interest after
one or two chapters.
Hard to follow & understand,
probablybecause one must
already be familiar with
whatever author was writing
about. DEFINITELY NOT for beginners.

Energy healing for beginners
This is a wonderful book for anyone who does bodywork or enegy healing.
The seller was extremely prompt in serving me. You will enjoy this book ... Read more

Product Description
Whether you're building a new house or have an existing one, "Basics of Energy Efficient Living" shares the principles behind energy efficient living. Have you ever wondered: What is R-value? How much energy could I get from my creek? Can I use alternative energy in the city? How much heat will it take to keep my house warm? How much heat will I lose if I put in a bigger window?Learn what it takes to save energy, then take the next step and collect your own.Find out how much energy you can get from water, sun, wind, and wood.Discover how much energy you need by making an energy budget specific for your house. Learn energy principles as you design a house step-by-step. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

good, not quite what i was expecting
This book was pretty good and I'm glad I read it.But it wasn't really what I was looking for.Basically, it's a review of some of the basic math and physics behind energy.A few specific topics, like R-values, are covered in exhausting detail.There are a bunch of worksheets for calculating your heat loss and such, which take up a large part of the book.

Practical for Real People
These days it seems that energy advice is available on every street corner--"turn down your thermostat", "caulk your house" or "buy a solar panel".Unfortunately, most of this "common sense" is either massively expensive or based on "cut back" and save.It's hardly inspiring or practical for real people.

This book restores my confidence in practical energy solutions.It's not "preachy" or "environmentalist"---it simply lays out how energy works and options to cut energy waste.It's easy to read, yet packed with information.I haven't seen technical writing this good in years.

The content is fairly evenly divided between discussions on preventing energy loss, recapturing lost energy, and obtaining "free" energy.The explanations are lucid, logical and cover the major energy options.The book also includes worksheets for calculating energy use in your own home.

Overall, what I appreciate most is this book doesn't preach/promote a specific energy solution.Instead it simply explains the options and lets you decide what will give you the most gain for your specific house/lifestyle.Once you read this book I guarantee you won't think about energy the same way again. ... Read more

Product Description
Develop an effective green home building business with the NAHB Research Center's resident expert, Jeannie Leggett Sikora. She has combed through hundreds of annual contest entries and talked to past award winners to develop specific examples and tried-and-true techniques to give home builders the inside track to create successful green building practices, for choosing products to marketing energy efficient homes. ... Read more